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Fire that killed Orange author, 8-year-old son may have been electrical, sources say

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Tanji Dewberry, 37, and her 8-year-old son Evan died after a fire broke out in their three-story Orange home on Sunday night, prosecutors said. While arson has been ruled out, sources told The Star-Ledger and electrical problem may have caused the blaze.
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ORANGE — Tanji Dewberry and her 8-year-old son, Evan, had a partnership that went well beyond mother and son.

In an interview published last year, the 37-year-old Orange resident said Evan’s struggles with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder inspired her to become an author, and pen the children’s book, "Oh Fiddlesticks!" The story gave her a way to advocate for her son, an outlet beyond the typical mother-son relationship, she told Examiner.com

They were business partners in other ways, too. When Evan would open up a juice stand every summer in their neighborhood, serving strawberry lemonade with a smile to neighbors on Berkeley Avenue, Dewberry stood right behind him, a proud manager of her son’s business, residents said.

Their partnership came to a tragic end Sunday night when Dewberry and Evan were killed late Sunday when a fire broke out inside their three-story home around 11:30 p.m., Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said. Prosecutors have not determined how they died or what led to the blaze, but a spokeswoman for Murray said there was "no indication" of foul play or arson.

"Tanji was an absolutely amazing, driven, beautiful person and a terrific mother to Evan," said Nyle Washington, a publicist who worked on the book with her. "Her fierce love of her son showed in every page."

While the investigation remains active, prosecutors are considering the possibility an electrical problem caused the fire, said three officials with knowledge of the investigation. The officials requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.

A neighbor saw smoke and fire and called 911. Emergency crews found the mother and son inside the home, said Katherine Carter, a prosecutor’s spokeswoman. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, she said.

Evan was found in his bedroom, according to the sources.

"It’s so sad," said Adelle Anderson, assistant director of nursing at the White House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, which is located next door to the house. "I couldn’t believe it when I came in. I saw police outside, but no fire trucks."

Dewberry, who was also a vice president for the WL Ross investment bank in New York, grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Northwestern University, according to her LinkedIn profile.

A single mother, she often hosted elegant parties at her three-story colonial home, said Carol Hughes, a neighbor.

Dewberry and her son lived together at the house. The boy's father, Virgilio Soler of Maplewood, declined to comment on the tragedy

She was inspired to pen "Oh Fiddlesticks!," after Evan was diagnosed with ADHD in 2011, according to the Examiner.com interview. The book, which tells the story of a boy who devises a plan to reclaim his favorite toy after it is stolen, had its roots in Evan’s struggles with anger after he was diagnosed, his mother said in the interview.

"When we got the diagnosis in 2011, we learned strategies to help him deal with anger and frustration, because those were two of the main emotions displayed during his more impulsive moments," she said in the interview.

Evan was a second-grader at the Heywood Avenue Elementary School in Orange, and an energetic presence on the block, where he was best known for his summer lemonade stand, Hughes said.

Dewberry’s friends and colleagues said the book was indicative of the strong bond between mother and son.

"Upon meeting Tanji, I saw instantly how absolutely loving and dedicated she was as a mother, giving a voice to a developmental issue that is rarely discussed in children’s books," Washington said.

Suzanne DeSimone, the illustrator who collaborated on "Oh Fiddlesticks!," said that Dewberry addressed a tough topic in an accessible way for parents and kids alike.

"The book (is) a tool for parents to get the message out to other children that it's OK to get mad and angry, but then teaches them how to cope with that anger and how to redirect it," said DeSimone, via email. "I think Tanji was not only creative as an author, but she dabbled in painting and her latest passion was interior design. She was a smart, funny, bright and very patient person and I am so saddened by this tragedy."

Marlo Garnsworthy, the editor of Dewberry’s book, said she was driven by the desire to be both an author and advocate for children struggling with ADHD.

"Any loss is tragic," she said. "But to lose someone who has high motivations and high goals, the world loses something … not to mention that poor little guy."